The Kingdom of Houndslas
History The History of Houndslas dates back three thousands years, when five clans of nomads were discovered by Lorkhan and Tanis. They gave them the Gift of "The Second Blessing" and drove the orcs to the North. In debt to the Divines, the five clans allied together and the largest of the five, Clan Golonar, was chosen as the leader of this new Nation. The worship of Tanis and Lorkhan are strong in the Kingdom. 'Beerdwarf Houndslas' Beerdwarf Houndslas is the name given to the Kingdom of Houndslas during the days when it was a Beerdwarf Client State between 9076 and 9836 CE Houndslasian Independance The Houndslasian War of Independance was a Brief Affair, the Beerdwarves being tied up in Wars elsewhere and being unable to send large quantitys of Troops across Witch-King held territory. It resulted in a Quick Victory for the Rebels and their Independance was granted by an Unhappy Lord Lieutenant. Houndslas became fully Independant of Beerdwarf Rule in 9836 CE 'Lycanthropic Nobility' The Nobility of the Kingdom of Houndslas are devout followers of Tanis. The nobility consist of Lycanthropes which in a specific Ritual bind the Curse of Lycanthropy into their flesh, blood and bones. This special form of Lycanthropy is only granted to the allies of their King and cannot be passed on through a bite unlike most other forms of Lycanthropy. The Curse also invokes the malignant spirit known as "The Hound" inside anyone who carries it. The most devout of the Nobles refer to the curse as "The Second Blessing". 'Famed Armoursmiths ' The Armourers of Houndslas are considered to be the "Second Best" Armoursmiths in the world since nobody has ever quite beaten the achievements of the Beerdwarves. Despite this the Armoursmiths of Houndslas have forged suits of Armour that can make some Beerdwarves stare in Awe. The Armoursmiths are mostly famed for their| Darkweave Armour, which is resistant to piercing weapons and cold, also being heavier than most would expect. 'The Darkstone Thrones' The Throne of Kendercast is carved from a material called "Darkstone" the Throne is said to impart great powers to whosoever binds themself upon it. It is heavily engraved with depictions of wolves, humanoids and complex spirals. Each of the islands of the Kingdom hold similar thrones, although being less powerful. No-one quite knows who made them, or whom they were made for. 'Houndslasian - Glacii War' 9983 CE to 10152 CE 43 Years following Houndslasian Independance from the Beerdwarf Empire a group known as the Glacii, the special forces branch of the armed forces of Coldland Isle, ceased control of Houndslas, Within the next 20 Years resistance in Houndslas fought back valiantly. But by 10000 CE the Resistance in Houndslas was pretty much defeated and the realm decided "If y'can't beat 'em join 'em" and proclaimed the Archmage Seraca Glaciallis their Leader and beheaded their own king. In 10152 CE Julianor Die'th Golonar slew Seraca earning himself the name "Magebane" he then proceeded to ensure that Spell-Casters in Houndslas could never again threaten the security of the Kingdom. Present Day 'Licensing of Magic' All Mages must be sanctioned by the Government, if they fail to do so they are considered Criminals and will be killed the instant their magical identity is revealed. The Fear of an attack by another group of Mages like the Glacii has caused resentment towards all magic users to the point where it is wise to cover any magical knowledge. Even magics derieved from the Gods should not be used in public since it may be mistaken for the Arcane Arts, Angry Mobs generally aren't concerned with whether the person they're lynching is a Mage or a Druid. 'Trade' The Kingdom of Houndslas is famous for it's skilled Smithys and Alchemists. The most profitable export of the Kingdom is Darkstone and Darksteel to the Beerdwarf Empire, where these materials are used to produce works of art rather than armour (for Darksteel cannot rival Beerdwarf Steel). The Kingdom also supplys a diverse selection of Herbs, many poisonous, for example the Lodeberries of the Northern Islands are often used to make poisons which inflict long lasting paralysis to the victim and is favoured by many notable Assassins since because of the great potency of the Lodeberries the victim is usually unable to move for quite a while, allowing the assassin to finish their victim at their leisure. Very Few Lodeberry coated weapons are availible however once a Weapon is coated with Lodeberry it will retain that quality for over one hundred years which makes the weapons less difficult to maintain. Lodeberry Weapons: OnHit Property Target must make a DC 25 Fortitude Save vs Poison or become paralysed for 120 seconds (or 20 seconds if PC). The Lodeberry prevents the victim from moving their limbs and paralyses them whilst leaving them fully aware of what is going on. The berries are often used to perform difficult acts of surgery since it numbs the patients body and prevents them from running away. 'Political Situation' The Kingdom is governed by four ruling houses who form a sort of council under the king.